Raising Echo

09

Some time had passed. An awkward silence had taken over the group and Christine recently dismissed herself by volunteering to make Aeko a bottle and put him down for a nap, leaving Chris and Desiré alone. The tension was layed on so thick that it weighed heavy on the pairs' shoulders.

"This is crazy," Desiré said finally, looking at Chris. She'd never sat down. She stood with her arms crossed while Chris lay lazily on the couch, covering his eyes with his hand. He chuckled lowly in response. It was almost growl like which caused Desiré to perk her head up, tense as his voice caused vibrations to flow through her.

"I keep thinking I'm gonna wake up or some shit," he scoffed, "excuse my language."

"It's fine," she replied, uncrossing her arms.

Chris looked up at the woman which to him felt like the first time in ages, his eyes danced across her body, undetectably. She was clueless of the gaze the celebrity cast upon her. After a mental break down she had last night, she'd concluded that he'd never see her in the way she'd like. In fact, her being here this long and the circumstance was only opening up old wounds. "Chris, I know this is important to you and Aeko but I don't think I can do this," she looked down at her brown pedicured feet, that sank into the plush rug as she softly bit down on her lip, "actually I know I can't."

"I respect that, I do. But I don't think it's up to us." Chris confessed.

"Why couldn't he have chosen someone, you could be romantically involved with? It doesn't make any sense. To me at least." Desiré started to pace again. Chris noticed her uneasiness and decided to comfort her.

"You keep pacing," Chris said, grabbing her shoulders. She tensed up slightly and their brown eyes met with each other's. Chris let out a shaky breath, and his eyes flickered. Desiré's heart fluttered and for a split second she wondered what his lips, so soft and pink, would feel like on hers. They both knew what they wanted in that moment but they couldn't quite make of what it even meant. Just as Chris thought to close the space between them, his eyes grew dark and memories of the last time he felt this way about a woman flooded back in torrents, waves. He nearly pushed her away which caused her to stumble backward.

"What the hell?!" She yelled, catching her balance.

"I- Desiré I didn't mean to-"

"Really? Well it looks a lot like you did," she scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You remind me of her! Okay?! Or who I thought she was..." Chris sighed as he placed his face in his hands, groaning. "I'm such a screw up."

Desiré placed her hand on his shoulder, "we can talk about it. If you want."

Chris nodded, "I know, when I'm ready you'll be the first person I talk to."

A smile spread across Desiré's lips and she replied with a nod. Chris saw this as a redo. It was his second chance to kiss her before something or someone ruined it. Slowly, he leaned in, their cool breath combating each other's tickled their lips, and finally without another second wasted, their lips met. Before it could get too intense, their bliss was cut short by the buzzing of Desiré's phone. They pulled away disappointed as she checked her device.

"Damn it," Desiré sighed.

"Husband?" Chris looked down at her and she shook her head.

"Work."

Chris nodded, understanding and he watched her grab her shoes and sit on the couch. "Let me," he said moving over to her.

"Let you...?"

Before she could even complete her thought, Chris gently took ahold of her ankle and slid her feet into her shoes, making sure his fingers delicately touched her smooth skin, causing her whole body to tingle. He looked up at her as her lips parted in awe. He barely even touched her but she deemed this moment as her hottest encounter yet. "Th-thank you," Desiré stuttered.